


Dans la nuit

by holdmymilktea



Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, will add other characters as they appear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:29:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21577189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holdmymilktea/pseuds/holdmymilktea
Summary: At night, they let me live the boredom that reason imprisons. All of me lies in these times, that from hope I go home.After coming back to Korea, Sua feels lost. In the comfort of the night, she crosses path with Siyeon, who seems to wander just a little further than her.
Relationships: Kim Bora | SuA/Lee Siyeon
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	1. Intro - Home Is Far Away

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is the first chaptered-fic I post, the result is probably a mess (should I tell you not to get your hopes up?), but I’ve had the idea for literally years (first drafts in 2016 but it actually goes further than this lol) and after changing the plot and characters for the nth time and having a lot of time at the moment, I decided to finally try putting it into words. I hope you’ll enjoy it!
> 
> Comments and feedback will be greatly appreciated, here or on Twitter @holdmymilktea :)
> 
> Title and description are from Québec singer Cœur de Pirate’s “Dans la nuit” which means, “at night” or “in the night”. Quite fitting since it’s nighttime in my timezone ;)
> 
> Pour les lecteurs francophones, j’ai choisi d’écrire en français d’abord puis de traduire en anglais. Si vous souhaitez que je publie la version française également, faites-moi signe. Au niveau du contenu, j’ajoute quelques phrases quand je passe à l’anglais, je ne peux pas m’en empêcher, mais rien de crucial. Par contre, le français effaçant les ambiguïtés sur les genres, vous pourriez deviner certains éléments de l’histoire un peu plus tôt que les autres. Just saying.
> 
> Cross-posted on AFF/AO3.

Home.

She let go of her bags, letting it fall on the ground with a thud, opening and closing her hands to allow blood to circulate through her veins and let out a sigh. She was there again, not for too long though, she remembered.

She looked around, trying to take in the feeling of being in this place again, night lights from the outside providing a calm and comforting dimness. The place had not changed, not that she had expected otherwise. Her room was the same as she left it many months ago. A few letters had been left on her desk, but other than that, it felt as if she lived there the day before.

Taking tentative steps, she decided to take a closer look at the small room. Her comfortable bed with her plushie family that she put so much dedication to win at the claw machines, the pictures of her friends on the wall just next to it, the books and _ manhwa _ she accumulated over the years on the opposite side, the clothes she hadn’t been able to bring with her. She traced her fingers on the furniture as if she needed the reality check.

Everything felt so familiar, yet so distant. Was it nothing but a dream? The sting in her hands from carrying her bags told her it wasn’t, but she still had a hard time believing her memories were events that actually occurred.

“Sweetie, dinner’s ready!” she heard her mother shout from downstairs.

She sighed again. This was her old life, but it seemed there was no going back.

* * *

Home.

She slowly moved around the apartment still full of boxes. This would be her home as of that day. She needed to get used to it, but for now it still felt strange. They had yet to unpack everything, though the main pieces of furniture were there, making the place up and running already.

She stopped her movements, feeling a tinge in her heart. She tried to imagine how life would look like in a few weeks, but she couldn’t. The apartment felt empty and that resonated within her. The realization that there was no memory to reminisce in there drove a serene smile to form on her face. How long would it last? She didn’t know. It had been a while since she stopped thinking about useless possibilities. They had all the time in the world to make this home their own, but she couldn’t dare think about this future.

“Oh, you’re there.” She turned to the where the masculine voice came from, giving silence as a reply.

“There’re only a few boxes left. I’ll do the setup after dinner.” He stacked the boxes he had brought in in a corner, then promptly exited. Silence engulfed the apartment once more as she was left alone.

The place was empty, but more importantly, felt empty. She liked that fact. It soothed the conflict her heart was in. She knew she needed the fresh start, yet she remained aware of the overwhelming feelings threatening to take over her.

She inspired deeply. This was her new life, and nothing would ever be the same.


	2. #1 Lost in Translation

Bora was hurrying to the university. She checked the time on her wrist; she wasn’t late yet, everything was under control. She still had some details to take care of regarding her enrollment and administration had asked her to come personally. It was the first time she set foot on campus and even following her GPS, she almost got lost. Almost. Or rather, she hadn’t expected to cross it entirely to get to her destination. The suffocating and humid heat of August didn’t help her case, it felt entirely different from the dry and more reasonable warmth she had enjoyed just a few days ago and she just wasn’t used to it anymore That’s why she was relieved to finally find the right building and the comfort of air conditioning.

Two people were already waiting by the office doors. The first was a boy and Bora was surprised to see a high-school student in the corridors of the main administration building. His uniform plainly gave it away, and if school outings to discover the universities Seoul had to offer were frequent, rarely did student stray from the group, much less to wait in front of an office. She deducted he was accompanying the second person, for now hidden from view by the height of the young man.

Bora got closer, acknowledging the duo with a slight nod when they noticed her presence. She was surprised once more seeing a girl her age with intimidating eyes. Not because the way she stood, head held up high, with a detached stance, as if nothing could reach her, accentuated the impression, but rather because her leg circled with a splint and the crutches she leaned on then appeared completely secondary. The boy looked like her somehow, she noticed. Their hair was the same shade of dark brown and a similar firm gaze, except his emitted something more benevolent. The girl seemed caught up in her own world, and didn’t care much about what her companion could tell her at that moment because all she did was nodding from time to time.

Bora found her own reaction ridiculous. Was she gone that long that she had to be astonished at every single thing? She’s pretty sure she even stared at pigeons earlier because they were Seoul’s pigeons. A bad fall could happen to anybody and there was nothing to make a big deal of. Thankfully, there were enough elevators to not suffer from staircases. She only hope the girl didn’t take classes in different department. If she herself had taken fifteen minutes to cross campus after she arrived, how long had she taken?

Her thoughts were cut short when the supervisor finally called for them and they quickly settled their enrollment. The other student, Lee Siyeon, was also enrolling mid-year, but in another department. Maybe they would run into each other, as Bora should also have some classes at the Business School. She would at least know someone from her batch. She didn’t really know how classes were at uni, but her best friend Minji had told her enough to know they were a place of extreme socialization.

She usually wasn’t one having troubles making friends, but arriving six months after everyone else, missing the first membership trainings and being one year older than other students her grade, she feared an invisible barrier between her classmates and her. Paradoxical for a new student of the Media and Communication department. Good news were, Minji was studying in the same department. They could still meet during breaks if she wanted.

A few days later, passed the stress of course selection and the relentless competition to get the best professors in the seconds following the opening of that damned website, the semester started. As someone who had just spent a year and a half abroad, she had almost forgotten it. The experience was a bit overwhelming - so was entering a PC bang again - but she didn’t do too badly. She liked the classes she got for the most part. As for the rest, she’d try to change them, but wouldn’t be overly disappointed if she didn’t manage to do so, since the way her class schedule fit, arranged in mornings only, was so to speak perfect.

She had arrived early to avoid the embarrassment of arriving after the others, or worse, late, if she made the mistake of getting lost, and getting noticed. She discovered with awe the Business School building she had classes in. Modern, aesthetic and obviously sponsored by a big group, wide windows crossing the walls from bottom to top. When she got closer to the edge of the floor she was at, she noticed several patios where armchairs and sofas enabled students to study comfortably in wide open spaces, as well as catch up on sleep. On the side closer to the walls, conference rooms with office chairs offered a privileged meeting spaces. Seeing this, Bora felt she might spend more time there than she thought initially. Her department seemed to have some money of their own, but nothing like this.

The classroom looked like a small lecture hall that could host around a hundred people. Each seat could enjoy presentations without problems thanks to the two projectors at each side of the room. Seats weren’t mere wooden fold-up seats, but were closer to theatre chairs rather than school ones.

A few people were already settled, either studying or sprawled over their desk to finish the night. Bora had planned to seat in a corner where she could be at peace, when she noticed a familiar face on the further side of the room, buried in a book. They had crossed path earlier than she’d have thought. Thankfully, her choice of sitting matched with Bora’s plans, so she got closer. In the relative silence of the lecture room, she could make out the rock music blasting through the earbuds of the girl, a style that suited her image quite well. When Siyeon noticed her presence, she raised her head, taking one of the earbuds off in the process. Bora gathered her inner strength.

“Can I sit here?” She smiled at the student, gesturing to the seat next to her. “I don’t know anyone in here.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“I’m Kim Bora.”

The syllables flowed in appropriate rhythm as she slightly bowed her head like when they first met. Technically, they knew each other’s name already and if even if she didn’t look like it, Siyeon was probably younger than her, but it would have been impolite to be too informal without making sure of it first. Right? How did social rules worked already? It was all fuzzy in her mind, making her scratch her neck from awkwardness.

“I’m Lee Siyeon.” She returned the bow. “How old are you?”

“I was born in 94.” Bora tried to gauge her reaction, but Siyeon welcomed the piece of information with her characteristic detachment.

“Oh, you’re older. I was born in 95. Should I be calling you _sunbae_?” asked Siyeon carefully. Of course. It had been a while since someone had called her like that.

“I’m also a freshman.”

She could see Siyeon’s eyebrows raise ever so slightly.

“Sorry. The supervisor had mentioned something like that, right.” So, she also remembered they had met already. “_Unnie_, then?”

Bora shrugged.

“As you want, however’s more comfortable for you.”

“Ok, _unnie_ then.”

“Fine with me, Siyeon-ah.”

For a while, Bora thought about continuing the conversation, but decided otherwise. Siyeon resumed her reading, without putting her earbud back on. They didn’t exchange anymore until the end of the lecture, a simple ‘bye’ thrown politely and the other student had already disappeared. In the end, even with her crutches, Siyeon was quite fast.

Bora watched the room getting emptier. Students who were in a rush left laptops in their arms, others took time to put their belongings back in their bag so they could sip on their iced americano peacefully as they walked to their next lecture, while the rest hurried over the professor’s desk to ask the questions they didn’t ask during class. She had never found this weird before, but now she willingly acknowledged depriving students from a potentially interesting question from fear of bothering the others was kind of contradictory. How many students in that queue shared the same question? How many would ask through email? How much time their professor would lose answering that same question?

She got up to put her things away. It wasn’t her problem after all.

* * *

“Heyyyyy, the Queen of England is finally back!” The nickname made her smile. She recognized the voice calling her and turned around to greet Minji with open arms, literally.

The young woman had always had soft features, but now that she had dyed her hair blonde, she almost looked like an angel, giving her a sense of security. Met with the enthusiasm and the blinding smile from her friend, Bora wanted to cry from the overwhelming emotion.

“I’m back.” She hugged her a bit tighter. “I missed you.”

“Come on, you make it look like we haven’t talked for two years!”

“It’s not the same,” she retorted, pouting, her words caught in her throat. Minji broke their embrace, but kept her hands on Bora’s shoulders, distractedly giving soothing squeezes.

“Sorry I couldn’t visit you, it was a bit complicated…”

“Don’t beat yourself over it. At least I could watch your videos even time difference was there to break us apart,” she reassured. Minji was starting to get famous on Youtube as Jiu, a broadcast jockey specialized in mukbang. She wasn’t rolling in money, but she could pay for textbooks and outings, a significant extra. For someone who loved eating, Bora couldn’t think of a better part-time activity for her friend. “I wish I could have gone home at least once as well…”

“But now that you’re here,” Minji gently squeezed Bora’s arms in a comforting manner, “we’re gonna make the most out of it!” She draped her arms around Bora’s shoulders, then forced both of them to turn around to admire the university campus. She couldn’t help but smile seeing the pride beaming on the other woman’s face. “So, what do you think of campus ?”

“Huge. Beautiful. Better than I expected. Better than the pictures, too. But I have to admit, I’m a little scared.”

“You? The extravert? Scared? What have you done to the real Bora?” questioned Minji with a dramatic tone, her face coming closer to Bora’s so she could examine her from all angles, as if she were a fraud wearing a mask. The “real” Bora grimaced.

“Maybe she got lost on the way back?” she replied half-jokingly. “Seriously, it’s not like high school where you spend eight hours a day with the same people. Here people come in, sit, spend the whole lecture on Kakao Talk and leave after they made an effort to look up at the presentation at least once during the hour. Doesn’t really leave room open for discussion.” She thought about Siyeon, with whom she had the opportunity to talk, but didn’t seize it.

“You have a point. It’s a bit more difficult, that’s true.” Minji thought briefly, chin placed between her thumb and index. “You should look for a club you’d like to join. That’s basically how it works around here. Then you choose the same classes as your friends.”

“Hmm, I guess. I’ll think about it.”

“Ah!” Bora could practically see the bulb light up above Minji’s head. “I have to introduce you to my friends anyway, our group is always happy to welcome someone new! You’ll see, they’re super chill.” Minji then linked their arms and started to walk towards the campus entrance. “You need to tell me about your adventures! But let’s go to a café first, it’ll be cosier.”

The streets adjacent to the university were filled with cafés of all kinds, always with a perfectly-executed concept and decorations. You couldn’t walk ten meters without passing by one. A miracle would probably be necessary for all of them to run smoothly, even with the influx of students in need of caffeine, and that was the reason why you had better not get too attached to a recently-opened shop. In the city with the highest number and highest density of coffee shops in the world, the market was saturated, competition was tough and the newest businesses were also the most fragile. Following that logic, it was better to never wait before trying a new place out, as it could close down overnight. That way of doing business reflected life here, intense and with little space for those lagging behind, Bora contemplated.

“Ah.” She let out after entering.

The café Minji had taken her to had opened soon after she enrolled university last year and seemed set to last. It differentiated from other shops through its traditional wooden floor, its pastel-colored seating cushions and its coffee tables. The whole setting was very bright and uplifting. Naturally, shoes had to be removed before joining a table. Fixed in her culture since forever, Bora liked the action. Far from take-out booths, of which she admitted the obvious necessity, the two friends had settled to chat, like they were home. Bora felt her heart clench, and without noticing, her hands clenched around her mug.

“Bora-yah, is everything alright?” The question brought her back to reality. “You seemed lost in thoughts.”

“I’m fine, just a bit jetlagged still, sorry.”

Minji already knew for the most part what happened in England, and there wasn’t much more Bora wanted to share with her, apart from the trip back, what she had missed the most. For a year and a half after high school, she had studied English at a private institute. Unquestionably, her stay taught her way more that whole of her mandatory education in Korea. She couldn’t say that she had it easy, far from it, but she spoke English, close to fluently, that’s what she wanted to retain. Their conversation quickly shifted on the _goshiwon_ room she lived in, a few minutes away from campus.

“You’re not staying at your parents’ place? It’s not that far.” It was true that in Seoul, a forty-minute ride was considered a luxury when some students commuted for hours daily. Bora shifted on her seat.

“No… They said I’d focus better if I wasn’t stressed with commuting.”

She played with her spoon, distractedly stirring the remainder of her drink, watching the swirlings come and go. She sighed.

“And also… they should move out soon.”

“What? Like that? But where to?” Minji’s jaw had dropped a little.

“They haven’t decided yet, but maybe far away. Well, a _goshiwon_ is far from a five-star hotel room, but it’ll be enough. And I’ll be at your entire disposal if you wanna hang out after class.” She winked at Minji.

“Damn, that’s tough… But at least we’re not far from each other, yeah. Tell me if you wanna get out of there. We’ll stuff ourselves at a barbecue place then hit the _noraebang_ until the end of the night if we have to. Anytime.”

Bora chuckled at the exaggerated gestures from her friend, and also because she knew she would do so in a heartbeat. She reached for Minji’s hand, squeezing it gently.

"Minji-yah."

"Yeah?"

“Nothing, I’m just happy.”

They smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for chapter 1! Would love to read your thoughts about the story :)


	3. #2 놓아줘 Let Me Out

‘_The new studio is finally ready, I’m inaugurating today! A huge thanks to my friends, without them, this wouldn’t have been possible. I’m so grateful to them T.T I hope you like it because I’m very happy about it! I’ve prepared some surprises, so be patient. As usual, feel free to request songs!_

_To me, music is the way I best express myself, so I hope I’ll sing for you for a long time._’

* * *

“I’m gonna destroy you, you won’t even understand !” Yoohyeon taunted, carefully stretching her hands then her neck.

“In your dreams, maybe,” retorted Yubin, who was getting ready in a similar fashion. The tension was tangible, and Minji had convinced Bora not to get involved in that matter, as nothing good would come out of it. “Don’t come crying afterwards.”

Yoohyeon furrowed her brows then looked at the other girl right in the eyes. “As if I’d let that happen.”

Yubin merely shrugged in response. “No one’s invincible.”

“Are you talking about yourself?”

“May the best woman win.”

“Looser owes the winner a bubble tea.”

The two girls fist bumped.

“Deal.”

The fight started and each started hammering the controls of the arcade game, unleashing the intricate but deadly combos of their characters. Next to them, Bora and Minji were unwinding on Dance Dance Revolution, taking it up a notch after a warm-up round and now needing to use the handle bar behind them.

Minji’s friends were as friendly as the blonde, Bora thought in-between two songs. Maybe it was because of her personality, people couldn’t help but appreciate her and she gathered around her people emitting a similar warmth. A few days after they reunited, as Minji had promised her, her friends had welcomed her right away, as if Bora had known them forever.

They had started lightly with crane games, getting to know them over their attempts of getting Ditto plushies, but then Yoohyeon insisted to get a rematch. On what? Well, it appeared that Yoohyeon and Yubin’s rivalry had been going on for a while. Something about ‘immemorial times’ and ‘destined paths’, Bora didn’t quite catch what they said after.

Yubin was hard to figure out at first, being visibly calmer than the other and preferring keeping to herself, but she seemed to be the kind of person you could always rely on. Like Minji, she was part of the university broadcasting club. She loved reading, loved stories and partook in writing short films and web series scenarii for school productions.

Yoohyeon, Minji’s 'other half' as she had been introduced, gave out a moving innocence you’d almost want to protect at all costs. The fact that she tended to be extremely clumsy, with a rather incredible predisposition to trip on nothing but air, partly explained it. She knew it because in the short time she had known her it had already happened a couple times. Yoohyeon was part of the broadcasting club as well and also a budding youtuber - that’s how Minji and her clicked right away, but she was specialized in gaming. That obviously didn’t prevent her from being regularly beaten hands down by Yubin.

“Noooooooooo!”

If you’d ask her, Yoohyeon would tell you it’s because she prefers discover games with her viewers rather than competing.

Yubin was already getting up from her seat imitating a mic drop while the youtuber was brooding.

“Brilliant performance from the pro-gamer! So, Yoohyeon-ah, bubble tea’s on you, right?” Bora threw while nudging Yoohyeon who now wore a scandalized expression.

“What? No! That’s not what we agreed on!”

“Not even for me?” Minji hugged Yoohyeon from behind and swayed the both of them gently to comfort her. Because Yoohyeon was taller, the result was slightly precarious but it didn’t seem to bother them as she snuggled closer to Minji’s neck, a candid smile on her face.

“For you, I could make an exception, I guess.”

“You two are awfully cute together,” Bora observed, faking being grossed out. She ignored the public display of affection, and headed towards the exit of the arcade to reach the bubble tea place that was right across the street. Yubin quickly followed on her heels.

“You’ll be immune soon.”

“I’m not entirely sure I’m looking forward to it, if that means I have to endure them until I don’t even notice anymore.” She grimaced with disgust. “I’m kidding, of course. Or not.”

“At least, you missed the time they were head over heel for each other but couldn’t bring themselves to confess, always chickening out last minute. I wanted to punch them so much.” Yubin clenched her fist remembering those rather… frustrating times. She coughed. “I still do, but for other reasons.”

“Knock some sense into them, right?” Bora chuckled at Yubin’s antics. “Ah, but I had that too! I was lucky to get a daily update from Minji. A real-life drama, yeah. Plot twists all the time, but a background story that doesn’t make any progress. Glad to know it was the same for you.”

How many times had she listened to Minji gush about the oversized puppy-looking girl who had joined the club and was oh so charming when she was away? That went on for months before the blonde could muster the courage to do something about it.

“Hey, we can hear you!” The couple shouted in unison behind them.

“That was the point!” Bora huffed before bursting out loud.

The bubble tea place was quite full but they managed to find a table upstairs, next to the wide bay windows that faced the main street of the university neighborhood.

“Thanks again for the bubble tea, Yoohyeon-ah. We should bet more often, to spice things up.”

“That won’t happen next time, don’t worry.”

“That’s what you say, but have you ever won against Yubin?”

“You’re supposed to support me, Minji-unnie.”

As the group settled, Bora unmistakably noticed Siyeon, a few tables away from theirs, eyebrows gathered together, focused on sucking the remaining tapioca pearls left at the bottom of her cup. In front of her, a young man around her age was enthusiastically telling her some stories, but Siyeon just nodded in acknowledgment before targeting a new pearl with her straw. He then took his phone, snapped a picture of her going through her ordeal then handed it to her. He posed for a moment while Siyeon gave him indications and, in turn, snapped some shots of him. The view was rather comical knowing Siyeon’s apparent seriousness and an unconscious smile formed on Bora’s face. Maybe she wasn’t as intimidating as she looked.

“What are you looking at, Bora-unnie?” She must have zoned out for too long. Yubin trailed her gaze, a knowing smile forming on her face, eyebrows raised. “Or should I rather ask ‘who’?” That caught the others’ attention.

“Already have someone in mind?” teased Minji.

“Woah, they’re gorgeous. Do you think they’re a couple?” asked Yoohyeon who had turned around.

Minji did the same so she could observe the pair. “Might be. The girl has that kind of scary look but she seems to be listening intently, and the guy is visibly happy to be talking with her. Anyhow, they’re totally a visual couple, fight me.” She stopped for a moment then suddenly frowned. Yoohyeon sported a similar expression.

“Wait a minute… That guy… I think I know him.”

“Weird. I think I’ve seen him around somewhere too…”

They looked at each other before turning to the pair once more, with an even more intense stare than before.

“My god, don’t stare at them like that, they’re gonna notice us!” Bora got up halfway to shake some sense into them. If knowing nobody at school wasn’t enough, she didn’t need the only person she had vaguely talked to to think of her as a weirdo and a stalker. If that happened, the only thing left for Bora would be to bury a hole somewhere around campus and hide there for eternity, or at least until Siyeon graduated. That sounded like a great plan.

“Sure, like we’re being super discreet there.” Was Yubin referring to Yoohyeon who had her head on Minji’s shoulder so she could see better, or to Bora who had a way louder voice than she thought? The fact remained that Siyeon was the first to turn her head in their direction with a curious expression, before her companion did the same.

Bora sat back and turned immediately towards the window so that Siyeon couldn’t see her, the view on the hairdresser's salon across the street suddenly becoming fascinating and not creepy at all, while Minji and Yoohyeon froze, forcing a embarrassed smile out to the pair before sitting back normally, heads lowered in shame. Now that she thought about it, the normal way of interacting might have been to just wave it off and say hi, but too late, she just had to watch a random guy getting a haircut.

“I’m so sure I know him, though.” Minji hadn’t given up on the subject and it frustrated her.

“All clear, they’re leaving now,” Yoobin stated, who had been idly sipping on her drink the whole time. Her seat and usual poker face enabled her to watch the whole scene without it being too obvious.

The young man got up first to throw out their cups then got closer to Siyeon, helping her with her crutches. She protested by shaking her head for an instant, her expression seemingly annoyed, but eventually admitted defeat because she took the arm he extended to her to help her get up. With a satisfied smile, he took his bag, then Siyeon’s and headed towards the stairs.

“Yoohyeon-ah, when will you carry my bag?” Minji asked with a dreamy face, tugging on the taller girl’s shirt to catch her attention.

“And you’ll carry mine?”

Minji kept her smile on.

“That’s not necessarily the point of the whole thing, love.”

"Totally a couple. Them.” Everybody got the idea but she clarified by pointing at the two who had just left, then at the two girls. “Not them. But, just, who are they?” Yubin directed her question towards Bora, who just shrugged since didn’t have much to say about it.

“Just a dongsaeng in one of my classes. She just transferred too; she was there when I came to enroll.”

“So why were we supposed to hide?”

“I don’t know?”

* * *

Night had fallen, allowing street lights to illuminate roads with soft yellow hues. Night fell way earlier here than in Europe for that season and it kept surprising Bora at times. Still, she was glad she could finally walk alone late without worrying about where she was. It was a priceless luxury she had enjoyed at soon as she got back to Korea. She had explored a lot of London on foot, but there was always this underlying worry about staying too late at night in less crowded spaces, even if nightscapes offered an alternate, more intimate understanding of the city.

Now in known territory, she had started to leisurely stroll around in the evening to discover the neighborhood. Anam was lively during the day, still busy in the evening until the last train departed, peaceful after, apart from a few bars. Night was pleasant, out of time, so to speak as life slowed down, and that was what she needed, comfort in its simplest form. She didn’t need busy streets to ruin that.

In the surrounding area was an artificial stream on top of which was built an elevated highway. The space freed in the process was converted in a peaceful promenade along the water's edge that, if you followed it long enough, continued until downtown Seoul through the Cheonggye stream. She had seen people there walk their dog, some took the opportunity to jog away from traffic, some used the public gym equipment, others wore a tracksuit for the sake of pretending to exercise hard and those left, like Bora, walked aimlessly in search of answers to questions they refused to ask themselves. The other side was reserved for bicycles, but there weren’t any. She rubbed her eyes, fighting the tingles threatening her, before reflecting on her day.

Today was eventful and for sure Bora hadn’t had as much fun like this in a while. Yubin was a person with quiet strength, Yoohyeon absolutely adorable and perfect for Minji and as for Minji, she had stayed true to herself, radiant and reassuring, the beacon that would help her build her bearing. As she grew more aware of the times she missed out on, she had a harder time to completely understand what her reaction should be. There was undoubtedly something unreal about being back, but yes, she was definitely here to stay. She looked around, taking in atmosphere.

Her mind drifted to Siyeon, as it often did these days, she noticed, despite their clear lack of interaction. She couldn’t really explain it, really. She wanted to think that they’d had a similar background, a common situation of sorts, being randomly thrown in there. That was only wishful thinking.

Bora realized she became someone over analyzing things. She kicked the air in frustration and let out a muffled scream to clear her mind. She strayed from the walkway to get closer to the edge of the water, crouching beside it. She searched for her reflection in the water, but the small current and poor lightning prevented any clear image. Minji was right, impulsive and spontaneous Bora had ran off somewhere and had yet to show herself. She’d like for her to come back at some point, sure, she thought. Only she wasn’t really sure how.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick question! This story is set in a specific part of Seoul, even if I haven't written where explicitely. Do you want me to be more precise with naming places or just make it general like in this chapter?


End file.
